92 NOTES FOR HUNTING-MEN 



at you. A really first-class man won't stand it, as 

 a rule, however good your place, and a second-class 

 man will pass it on with interest to those below 

 him, which means a very uncomfortable establish- 

 ment. 



Check all bad language in the stable-yard, more 

 particularly (as is so often the case in a hunting- 

 box) if the yard is quite close to the house. Men 

 are very apt to drop into foul language, which 

 savours of a second-rate livery stable. 



As regards the number of men you require, you 

 can take it that one man for every two horses in 

 the stud ought to carry on all right. For instance, 

 for a stud of six horses, a good w^orking head man, 

 a second horseman, and one helper, ought to do ; 

 but if you are hunting often, which means the 

 second horseman away most of the day, they will 

 have their w^ork cut out to turn horses and saddlery 

 out really well. Above this number, every extra 

 helper to each two horses will be a great assistance. 

 I mean that five men can carry on a stable of ten 

 horses better than three can do one of six. With 

 more than six horses your head man wdll have 

 enough to do, clipping, trimming up, and generally 

 superintending the stable, forage, &c., and must 

 leave the manual labour of strapping to his helpers ; 

 but a good man will always take his coat oft', and 

 diet a horse, if necessary. During the actual hunt- 



